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Spelling I before E? Or is it E before I?

This presentation covers commonly misspelled words and knowledge of spelling rules—all of which, unfortunately, have exceptions!

Spelling items on an objective test might look like these. . .

Sample Item 1 Because we were hungary, we could not A A concentrate on the lecture. We will definitely B consult Wanda since she was fueling her brain C with a fruit smoothie. Hungry is Is hungary, definitely, or misspelled, but fueling choice A misspelled? corrects it! A. hungry B. definately C. feuling D. No change is necessary.

Sample Item 2 At the flea market, Harold bought fresh tomatoes, a pair of used jeans, and a stuffed deer head with a broken antler. He considered the shopping trip successfull. A. succesful B. successful C. sucessful D. No change is necessary. Is successfull Choice B does the job—two so, misspelled? Ifcs, two ss, choice which but only one l corrects. it?

At many objective exams, you can not use a dictionary! X

When in doubt, rely on “gut” feelings. Your eyes have seen in print — and your brain has registered — all of the possible words that you will encounter for this skill. If you don’t recognize the right answer, go with the one that feels right. Hey, I know that word!

Plurals, Part 1 • Most words become plural by adding s: chickens, books, kites • Use es for words ending in s, sh, x, z, or “soft” ch: beaches, fixes, quizzes problems, Chad needed to To finish his algebra problem, Chad needed to glasses find his glass. . Do you like my funky lenses?

Plurals, Part 2 • Words ending in a vowel + o become plural by adding s: rodeos, duos • Words ending in a consonant + o become plural by adding es: tomatoes, heroes Our ears were glued to the radios as we listened to tornadoes news about the tornado. . Take cover!

Plurals, Part 3 • Many words that end in f or fe become plural with ves: leaf leaves, life lives, knife knives • Words that end in ff or ffe become plural with just an s: knockoffs, giraffes lives would improve if the gira quit eating Our life would improve if the giraffs ffes eating the leaves shrubs. leafs off our shrubs. Stop that!

Final Y Words • If you have consonant + final y, change the y to i when you add any suffix except one beginning with i: easy easily, fifty fiftieth, sky skies • If you have vowel + final y, keep the y when you add a suffix: monkeys, toys tried to save his money, but the flea market Chad tryed to save his money, but the flea market buys had too many good buy. . I’m a sucker for “Buy 3, Get 1 Free”!

Final E Words • If a suffix begins with a vowel, you will usually remove the final e: hope hoping, love loving, participate participating • If a suffix begins with a consonant, you will usually keep the final e: lovely, amusement, hopeful Climbing to the top of the mountain was too challenging, so we gave up and wallowed in challengeing, so we gave up and wallowed in discouragement. discouragment. We were so close!

Doubling Final Consonants • If you have a one-syllable word that ends in vowel + consonant, double the consonant when you add a suffix that begins with a vowel or is a y: saddened, swimming, skinny • If you have a multi-syllable word that ends in vowel + consonant — with the accent falling on the last syllable of the root word — double the consonant: admitted, beginner, forbidding

Read this sample: stepped puddle and sliped off Chad steped in a puddle and slipped off the sidewalk. He regreted his clumsiness regretted clumsiness spotted mud stain on his pants. when he spoted thethe mud stain on his pants. Whoa!

IE/EI Words • Often, i comes before e: belief, chief, review • If the i and e follow c, they usually reverse: cei ling, concei ve, recei ve • E also precedes i if the sound is a long a: ei ght, nei ghbor, wei gh conceited about bulging viens in Chad is concieted about thethe bulging veins in believes that of his rippling muscles. He beleives that allall of the females are admiring his great physique. Let me flex my biceps!

Quick Test Directions: In the items that follow, choose the option that corrects an error in the underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose “No change is necessary. ” Show me what you know!

Item 1 Carlos hoppedthat he caught all of the hoped that he caught all of the hoppedthat he caught all of the A A misspellings his essay, for he wanted to misspellings inin his essay, for he wanted to B receive an A on this paper. C A. hoped B. mispellings C. recieve D. No change is necessary.

Item 2 The thieves planned to steal Mom’s expensive A jewelry jewellry but changed their minds when they B B discovered Big Boy, our Rottweiler, guarding the C master bedroom. A. theives B. jewelry C. guardding D. No change is necessary.

Item 3 When we told Sheila that her boyfriend Ronnie accompanied Kristine to fancy restaurant last accompanied Kristine to aafancy restaurant last A B night, Sheila told us to mind our own bussiness. . business. bussiness C C A. accompanyed B. resterant C. business D. No change is necessary.

Item 4 I don’t mind sharing a dessert with Matthew, but I must insist on a sepparate fork. A. separate B. seperate C. saperate D. No change is necessary.

Item 5 Professor Williams recommends studing twotwo recommends studing two studying A B hours every night; we students wish we had the time but must work to pay for the expensive C textbooks that he requires. A. reccomends B. studying C. espensive D. No change is necessary.

Item 6 All day long, our new puppy Jack sleeps on the rug, but at night, he is possesed by energy and bounces off the furniture. A. posessed B. possested C. possessed D. No change is necessary.

Item 7 Ramón wishs that the lovely Belinda would blow wishes that the lovely Belinda would blow wishs that the lovely Belinda would blow A kisses his way, but he is always disappointed. . B C A. wishes B. kissess C. dissappointed D. No change is necessary.

Item 8 To please his wife, Robert swept off the roof, even though he found this chore pointless and unnecessary. . A. unecessary B. unnecessery C. unneccessary D. No change is necessary.

Item 9 Patrick tried to make Babushka’s potatoe A A pancakes, but we found them inedible; ; everyone inedible everyone B wished he had made simple French fries instead. C A. potato B. ineddible C. frys D. No change is necessary.

Item 10 Look at Jonathan’s face turning red—that boy embarasses easily! A. embarrases B. emmbarasses C. embarrasses D. No change is necessary.

The End.